Dr. Larry and Mary Margaret McNeill – Supportive in Innumerable Ways

If you name all the ways a couple could be involved with Sandhills Community College, Larry and Mary Margaret McNeill tick most of those boxes.

They came to the area in 1968 so Larry McNeill could begin teaching English at Sandhills.

Mrs. McNeill had a bachelor’s degree in English but decided to fulfill another goal. “I grew up playing the piano and always wanted to improve my music skills,” she remembers. “Studying with keyboardist McKellar Israel at Sandhills, I learned how to play the organ and earned an associate’s degree in Music and Art in 1977.”

Over the summers, all three McNeill children also took courses at Sandhills. “We are forever grateful for the opportunities that Sandhills has given to our family and to our community,” says Dr. McNeill, who earned his PhD in English Education from the University of South Carolina.

While they feel they have received much from Sandhills, the McNeills themselves have done quite a bit of giving to Sandhills. By teaching over 30 years and now continuing as a part-time faculty member, Dr. McNeill has improved the literature and writing skills of thousands of students. He has coached golf and tennis and serves on the Athletic Committee and on the Sandhills Horticulture Board.

Mrs. McNeill has served on the Board of Directors of the Sandhills Community College Foundation for over 12 years, served as chair of the Donor Recognition Committee and is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

As strong advocates of education, the McNeill Family has endowed the McNeill Woodward scholarship, which began in 1990. This scholarship has helped many students achieve their dream of college.

“Sandhills Community College has been a major part of our lives and we consider it to be a gem in our area,” Mrs. McNeill says. “The college has improved the quality of life, job skills and earning capacity of many area residents thus improving life for all who reside in the area.”